I have always held Student Senate in high regard, but a visit to Wednesday’s meeting left me disillusioned by absurd statements and a terrible disregard for decorum.
I listened to a senator call the Graduate and Professional Student Council a pseudo organization hand-picked by the administration to lobby on its behalf. This statement runs contrary to the Aggie values I hold dear and should not have been made before any student organization, let alone a representative one.
I am certain the majority of student senators are responsible students who want to impact Texas A&M with meaningful legislation — this year, for example, they pushed to make campus more accommodating to blind students with a proposal to install wind chimes at building entrances. Past and future success, however, does not excuse the behavior I witnessed at the semester’s final meeting.
The treatment of the Graduate and Professional Student Council by Student Senate shocked me. Two representatives presented arguments in opposition of the Personal Protection Act, which advocates for concealed carry of handguns on campus and was passed by Student Senate later that evening and signed Monday by Student Body President Kyle Kelly. Most of the senators who questioned the council representatives’ input were professional. This decorum ended, however, when one individual took the floor and made the statement I listed above, among others.
The Graduate and Professional Student Council represents close to 15,000 students. It advocates for a huge part of campus life, and its members directly impact Texas A&M’s research standing. And a student senator questioned their authority to give input and called their legitimacy fake.
One individual made the statement, and not one senator called for decorum or stood in the GPSC’s defense. I was astonished. I am confused, hurt and angered that the governing body that represents me would treat guests in such a way. Aggies are kind, courteous and respectful of others. The actions of one individual and the silence of many should never have been tolerated.
I want to affirm my respect for the men and women in Student Senate and throughout SGA who work on our behalf, mostly without thanks. One observation certainly does not imply a trend. But from the outside looking in, what should be a representative body beyond reproach seemed disconnected and intolerant.